Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station (KGL), is a hydroelectric power station in

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

Background

As of 2017, according to

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

, Zambia had installed generating capacity of 2,800 megawatts. Of these, 2,380 megawatts (85 percent) was hydroelectricity. Peak electricity demand in Zambia has been recorded at 1,960 megawatts, with growth in electricity demand estimated at between 150 MW and 200 MW every year. Approximately 70 percent of national electricity output is consumed by the country's mines in the

Copperbelt Province Copperbelt Province is a province in Zambia which covers the mineral-rich Copperbelt, and farming and bush areas to the south. It was the backbone of the Northern Rhodesian economy during British colonial rule and fuelled the hopes of the imme ...

. In October 2015, after the requisite feasibility and environmental studies, the engineering, procurement and construction contract was awarded to Sinohydro, a Chinese,

state-owned State ownership, also called public ownership or government ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, property, or enterprise by the national government of a country or state, or a public body representing a community, as opposed to ...

hydropower engineering and construction company. The contract price is reported as US$2 billion, with 85 percent borrowed from the Exim Bank of China, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The government of Zambia was to invest the remaining 15 percent in the project.

Location

The power station is located along the

Kafue River The long Kafue River is the longest river lying wholly within Zambia. Its water is used for irrigation and for generating Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric power. It is the largest tributary of the Zambezi, and of Zambia's principal rivers, it ...

, between the Kafue Gorge Upper Power Station upstream and the confluence of the Kafue River with the

Zambezi River The Zambezi (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than half of t ...

downstream. The power station is located approximately , by road, south of

Lusaka Lusaka ( ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was abo ...

, Zambia's capital city. The geographical coordinates of Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station are:15°53'46.0"S, 28°33'33.0"E (Latitude:-15.896111; Longitude:28.559167).

Construction

Construction of the power station began in November 2015. As of July 2019, the contractor expected to conclude during the fourth quarter of 2020. During construction, over 3,000 jobs were created. In September 2019, construction of the dam and power station were halted due to financial difficulties. In July 2021, one of the five turbines (Turbine Number 2) was commercially commissioned to supply 150 megawatts to the Zambian national grid. In March 2023, last of the five turbines was started. President

Hakainde Hichilema Hakainde Hichilema (born 4 June 1962), often known by his initials HH, is a Zambian businessman, farmer, and politician who is the seventh and current president of Zambia since 24 August 2021. After having contested five previous elections in ...

officially commissioned the power station. Throughout its construction, the project has created 15,000 local jobs and has significantly contributed to the growth of the local construction, trade, and transportation sectors. Additionally, it has spurred the development of infrastructure surrounding the hydropower station. After construction, the hydropower plant will boost Zambia's power capacity by nearly 38%.

Funding

The below table summarizes the funding sources for the power station alone, without the related power line, road and other infrastructure.

Operations

The power generated will be evacuated via a 330-kilovolt transmission line, measuring approximately to Lusaka, for integration into the national power grid.

References

External links

Construction of hydro power station at Kafue Gorge suspended
As of 11 September 2019.
Feasibility Study of the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydroelectric Project
As at 18 August 2010. {{Authority control Power stations in Zambia Chikankata District Hydroelectric power stations in Zambia Kafue River